Teruhide Kato (born 1936)

Teruhide Kato was a major contemporary kimono designer in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s before becoming an internationally recognized painter and woodblock printmaker in the mid-1980s.

Early life

Born in Kyoto, Teruhide Kato studied at the Kyoto Art College and began his professional career as a kimono designer, balancing the tradition of the kimono with a contemporary Japanese design aesthetic. 

Woodblock printing

In the mid-1980s, Kato ended his career in the kimono field and turned to his first artistic love: the traditional arts of painting and woodblock printmaking. He concentrated on the architecture and scenery of his beloved hometown of Kyoto, capturing the magic of this beautiful area.

In 1991, Kato made his international debut with a solo woodblock show in New York and the release of his book "Kyoto Romance." Kato’s artistic style is unique, and like his kimono designs, his woodblock prints interpret traditional Japanese imagery in a contemporary style.